Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: peanuts

Vegan Snickers Pie
People always ask me why on earth I make my own Birthday cake. Well, it is simple. I can’t get the kind of cake I want anywhere, and I actually enjoy making my own. I mean, where around where I live can I get a refined sugar free vegan dessert with no cheater ingredients? Probably nowhere, and it would cost me an arm and a leg I am sure. A few times in the past making my own Birthday dessert didn’t work out so well. like when I was younger and I tried to make a pink cake with beet coloring and it turned brown and tasted beety. That wasn’t cool. Or the time I tried to make a chocolate cake with ganache, following someone else’s recipe only to have it all run off the cake and plate and onto the floor. Luckily this type of thing hasn’t happened in the past 8 years with my Birthday cakes at least. Most of them turn out well. I suppose that is a chance you take when creating a recipe for the first time for your Birthday.

This year I did not even make a cake. I made a pie. Because it is my Birthday, so I can make whatever I choose! This isn’t the first year I have done this, I made a peanut butter and jelly cream pie a few years back and it was pretty bomb. One of my favorite recipes actually! Also, my Birthday is in the Summer, so some years I just don’t want to heat up the oven, which is part of why I made a no bake pie. The main reason though why I made this pie is because I wanted something dreamy, rich and creamy for my Birthday dessert. The Vegan Snickers Pie I chose was all that and then some.

I made a no-bake oat and coconut based chocolate crust. It was easy to make and the perfect carrier for the creamy fillings. I made both a peanut butter mousse (kind of to replace the nougat portion of the snickers), and a chocolate peanut butter mousse because why not make this extra decadent. And I made both a plain caramel and chocolate caramel to swirl into it. It may sound complicated, and yes this pie has a few steps but it is worth it. And you are actually just adding cacao powder into plain for both the caramel and filling to make the two flavors of each. I sprinkled some peanuts on top, since this was snickers, and I could not wait for it to chill and be ready to try!

It turned out super decadent and delicious. It was just what I wanted for my Birthday dessert! I may be 32 now, but I still feel like I am 25, and yes I still enjoy things like gooey snickers pies for my Birthday. You don’t have to wait for your Birthday to make this, try it out now when you are craving something delicious. Just for the heck of it! You will be happy you did!

Vegan Snickers Pie
Makes one 8 inch pie

1 9 inch pie plate or removable bottom tart pan

Crust:
- 3/4 cup finely shredded dried coconut
- 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten free rolled oats
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup soft pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them 30 minutes and drain well before using)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- filtered water as needed
Filling:
- 1 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
- 1 cup coconut butter warmed to liquid
- 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
Caramel:
- 1 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (soaked in water 30 minutes, and drained well before using if not soft)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- 1 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
Peanuts for topping

Instructions:
1. For the crust, combine all ingredients in the food processor until finely chopped and starting to hold together when squeezed (if it doesn’t you may need to add a little filtered water 1 Tbsp at a time).
2. Press the mixture into a 9 inch pie crust, or a 9 inch removable bottom tart pan or pie pan greased with avocado oil (or other oil that doesn’t harden when chilled).
3. For the filling, combine all ingredients but the cacao powder in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Divide between 2 bowls, and whisk the 2 Tbsp cacao powder into one. Pour the one with the cacao powder over the crust and smooth to the sides. Set this and the bowl of other filling aside.
4. For caramel, place all ingredients but the cacao powder in a high speed blender and blend until smooth, then divide between two bowls and whisk the cacao powder into one of them along with 1 Tbsp filtered water. Drop half of each of the two caramels (the plain and the chocolate) over the filling by the heaping teaspoon, then swirl it with a knife or toothpick to marble it. Pour the plain filling over that, then repeat with the rest of the caramel, swirling it with a knife. Sprinkle peanuts around the edge of the pie. Place in the freezer until set, about 2 hours.
5. Pie keeps refrigerated for 1 week in a container.
July 18, 2017
Vegan Snickers Swirl Brownies
I have been wanting to make brownies for a couple of weeks now, and I finally got around to it on Wednesday. Maybe I just made it happen because I was day dreaming about them on my 7 mile run that morning. Yes, I sometimes dream about recipes and come up with ideas when I am running. It is a great time to think since I am just in my own head without other people talking to me, and it helps to distract from things like feeling fatigued for that middle mile or that my hamstring is angry. I decided that I wanted snickers brownies. I have never made them before, and I knew they would be good. I loved snickers when I was a kid, and that is what I looked for in my Halloween candy every year. Since I am a vegan now as an adult though, I usually make my own.

I did not just cut up snickers bars and stir them into my usual brownies. I made the brownies into sort of swirly snickers. I made a luscious cheesecake type filling that served as the nougat part of the snickers, and it was so tasty even before I baked them. It reminded me of a raw cheesecake filling and tasted just like I remember the nougat on a snickers. I made a date caramel to swirl into these as well, and as always I couldn’t stop tasting that because it is super addictive. I swirled those two fillings into the rich batter, and topped it all off with some peanuts and chocolate chips. It was a lovely sight.

Even more so when it came out of the oven and it was all set up and smelling amazing. The sad part was I had to wait overnight for these to cool because I baked them in the evening after work and I wanted them to have clean edges when I cut them. But they were well worth the wait. So rich and delicious, I have a feeling these would win over any omnivore you are looking to convince that the vegan lifestyle doesn’t mean deprivation. These were simply heavenly! If you are in the mood for something chocolaty and of the indulgent nature, give these a try!

Vegan Snickers Swirl Brownies
Makes 16

Caramel:
- 1/2 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water and drain well first)
- 2 Tbsp organic peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
Swirl:
- 3/4 cup thick coconut milk (from the top of a chilled can)
- 1/2 cup cashew butter (or almond butter will also work here)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
Brownies:
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup organic peanut butter
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp reduced aquafaba or 2 flax eggs*
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup organic roasted peanuts
Directions:
1. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding a little water if necessary, it should be the consistency of pourable but still thick caramel). Pour into a bowl and set aside.
2. To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
  To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees.
3. Whisk together the sugar, oil and peanut butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down. Add the aquafaba and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.
4. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the swirl and caramel over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.
5. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and peanuts. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
6. Let cool before cutting into bars.
*The aquafaba is the liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas. You want it to be thick like egg whites. If you are wanting to make flax eggs, simply mix together 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds, and 6 Tbsp filtered water and let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
May 13, 2017
Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Sundae
My Mom brought me a bag of Spanish peanuts from Trader Joes, and asked me if I would make her a vegan Peanut Buster Parfait. Of course I couldn’t resist, because I love veganizing things. If you have never heard of a Peanut Buster Parfait, it is a sundae from Dairy Queen with vanilla soft serve, gooey fudge, and peanuts. It was something that my family used to love when I was younger. I mean, what’s not to like about all of those things?! It was pretty decadent and delicious. I did used to love going to Dairy Queen, up until I started eating healthier and giving up refined sugars and animal products. They do include a lot of both in their foods. The last time I ate it over 10 years ago, I was disappointed, and just missed my home made ice cream. Once you buy an ice cream maker it is really hard to go back to buying it. Just sayin’! I have made hundreds of flavors, and I I still get pretty excited about new ones.

This ice cream was going to be even better than a Peanut Buster Parfait. I decided that instead of just vanilla ice cream, I would make a peanut butter vanilla ice cream. Because I love peanut butter, and the more the better. I also sweetened the ice cream with dates which gave it a slight caramel flavor, and it was so incredibly delicious even just like that, before being turned into a sundae. If you don’t have any dates though, not to worry, you can substitute 1/4 cup maple syrup and it will still be delicious. To top the ice cream, going along with the Peanut Buster Parfait theme, I made a simple fudge, with a little more peanut butter, maple syrup and cacao butter, and it was crave worthy. This is something that you could bathe many different flavors of ice cream in, you could even make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator for random ice cream cravings.

I topped it all off with those Spanish peanuts from Trader Joes, which were really good by the way, and I would buy them just to snack on. The sundae turned out beautiful, but more importantly it was delicious. When I served it to my Mom, she loved it as well! We both agreed that it was WAY better than any of those Peanut Buster Parfaits we used to eat. Not only that, no refined sugar or animal products included, so it is something you can feel better about eating. If you are in the mood for ice cream, definitely put this on your to make list!

Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Sundae
Makes about 3 1/2 cups ice cream, enough for about 2-3 Sundaes

Ingredients:

Ice Cream Base:
- 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
- 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Fudge:
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
For assembly:
- 3/4 cup toasted organic Spanish peanuts
Directions:
1. Combine coconut milk, peanut butter, dates, and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
2. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container with a lid. Place in the freezer with the lid on, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the fudge ingredients until smooth, adding a little more water if too thick.
4. When ready to serve, spoon some of the fudge into a dish, then scoop some of the ice cream over it, then a little more fudge, then more ice cream, then sprinkle the peanuts over that and enjoy!
March 24, 2017
Vegan Snickers Layer Cake

My birthday was last Friday, so this post is a little belated, but I promise you the recipe that accompanies it is well worth the wait. Normally I post my birthday cake recipe on my Birthday but it was a little busier this year and I wanted to relax and not stress myself out last week so I figured it was ok to wait. This year I turned 31, and I feel like I am more mature now that I am in my 30s, but I still also feel like I am 25. I don’t feel old enough to be 30 if that makes sense. When I was younger, I guess I thought I would have everything in my life figured out by the time I was 30 but I am still working on it, and learning valuable lessons. One of which is to take care of yourself first, because if you don’t do that, you will not be able to help out or take care of anyone else. It is not being selfish, it is being smart. Another thing, when I was younger I cared more about what other people thought about me and now, not so much. So what if I am a quiet introvert that likes to spend more time with the cat or just my significant other instead of going out to parties and being social? Also, who cares if someone doesn’t like what I am wearing or how I do my makeup? I wear what I like, and I am comfortable with how I look and who I am. Be who you are, do what you enjoy, dress how you like, what matters is that you are happy.

You know what made me really happy? The Snickers layer cake I made for my birthday. I am usually a vanilla girl, but this year I went chocolate with my cake, because that is what I was craving. And after all, I was the one making it so I had full say in what it was. I have always made my own cake, since I got into baking because it is the only way I can get exactly what I want, plus I actually enjoy it! I don’t know anyone around here who would make me a vegan Snickers cake. So, I went for it. I will admit right now, that this cake has quite a few steps to make it. None of them are very difficult, it is just a little more time consuming. But this is after all a special occasion cake so it is worth the time!

For the cake layers, I made a rich chocolate cake with dates to sweeten it. I find that dates give the cake the perfect amount of sweetness and moisture when baked for the proper amount of time. You can not taste the dates, they just give it a brown sugar like note of flavor. This cake batter recipe has been called the most delicious by my omnivore family and friends. So naturally I had to use it for this cake. I made a mousse filling topped off with peanuts that tasted like the nougat inside a snickers, as well as date caramel to top it and the cake off. For the outside of the cake, I made the most luscious peanut butter fudge frosting. It is only 4 ingredients, and simple to make, but it is sooo good.

Once this cake was assembled it was pretty marvelous to behold. But most importantly, it met my standards for taste. It tasted amazing. Way better than any snickers bar because cake was involved. Dare I say it one of the best cakes I have made lately (which is not to say the other cakes weren’t really good, this one just was out of this world good). It was the perfect birthday cake. I was very happy with it, it was fun to make on my day off, and it was a really good birthday present to myself. Don’t worry, I did not eat it all myself, I am not selfish, I shared. But it is something that you will want to go back for seconds for. Just sayin’ when your Birthday comes around take note of this cake.

Vegan Snickers Layer Cake
Makes 1 6 inch 2 layer cake

2 6 inch cake pans

Cake:
1 1/2 cups quinoa flour (or all purpose gluten free flour works also)
1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1/2 cup of the water reserved
1/4 cup organic peanut butter (smooth)
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup filtered water
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Peanut Butter Caramel:
1 cup pitted medjool dates
3 Tbsp organic peanut butter
1/3 cup filtered water (or as needed)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt

Filling:
1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup organic peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut butter, warmed to liquid

Frosting
3/4 cup pitted medjool dates, soaked in water for 30 minutes, and 3/4 cup of the water reserved
1 cup organic peanut butter (smooth)
1/2 Tbsp cacao powder
pinch sea salt

about 1 cup organic peanuts

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven. Line the bottoms of two six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with coconut oil so that the cake doesn’t stick. Whisk flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well. Place dates, reserved water, peanut butter, water, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form. Transfer cake batter to prepared pans and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 23-25 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cakes out onto platter; peel off parchment paper. Cut cakes in half horizontally with a serrated knife, or very sharp long knife (being very careful so that they don’t break) cover (so that they don’t dry out, you may stack them with parchment in between) and set aside.
For the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth (adding a little more water if needed to create a caramel that is not super runny but thin enough to almost pour). Set aside in the refrigerator.
To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth, then pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until it is the consistency of whipped cream (it takes about 30-45 minutes depending on how warm it has gotten). Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to frost.
To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth (since hazelnut butters and dates can vary, if the frosting is too thin, add a little more cacao powder, too thick, add a little more water). Set aside in the refrigerator.
To assemble the cake, place one layer on a plate, spread 1/3 of the filling over it, then some of the caramel and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the peanuts. Repeat with another layer and another, then ending with a cake layer on the top. Place the cake in the freezer for about half an hour to 45 minutes to firm up the filling so it stays put when you frost the cake. Spread the chocolate frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake. Top off with more peanuts, and pour remaining caramel carefully over the top allowing it to drip down the sides (if the caramel is not runny enough to drip down the sides of the cake add a little water to it first). Enjoy! Store leftover cake in the refrigerator.

July 18, 2016
Raw Caramel Peanut Clusters

Just as you should never judge a book by its cover, or a person by their looks, you should never judge a food only by its appearance. Unless it has mold or something…but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about freshly made food here. I have had so many people say things like, “well I would make a cake, but it would be ugly.” or “I made some truffles, but they are not perfectly round and uniform in shape so they are no good.” It is not all about the appearances here people. Just think, if all the organic veggies were thrown out (I know they do this in some places and it is very disturbing to me) and never used…how much deliciousness we would miss out on! I mean if you closed your eyes and ate that cake or those truffles, you would never know…you would only be happy because you were tasting something wonderful! It is awesome to have talent, and make a beautiful cake, but an ugly cake with lots of love put into it is just as special. What matters is how it tastes and the time put into it. So…where am I going with all this? I made something delicious the other day which would not win any beauty contests…but it was sooo good!

I am talking about my Raw Caramel Peanut Clusters. I loved the caramel so much that I had used in my vegan salted caramel peanut butter brownies that I decided that it needed to make another appearance. So, I mixed it with chopped peanuts, dipped it in dark chocolate, and voila! Pure ugly deliciousness. It was gooey, it was messy, and it was lumpy. But was it ever delicious. Moral of the story, never judge a dessert by its appearance.

Raw Caramel Peanut Clusters

makes 12

Caramel:

1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water and drain well first)

2 heaping Tbsp creamy raw jungle peanut butter (or organic peanut butter)

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup filtered water (or as needed)

1 1/4 cups raw jungle peanuts (or roasted organic peanuts), chopped

1/2 cup chopped raw dark chocolate (or you may use your choice vegan dark chocolate)

To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding a little water if necessary, it should be the consistency of pourable but still thick caramel). Pour into a bowl, and mix in the peanuts. Then drop by the heaping Tbsp onto a foil or parchment lined tray. Place in the freezer for a few hours until more firm and very chilled.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or your preferred method. Then, once the caramel part is firm, dip them into the chocolate (I like to use a fork to allow the excess to drip off) and set back on the tray. Once they are all dipped, set the tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes until the chocolate has set. Store any leftover candy in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

September 5, 2015
Chocolate Chunk Swirled Peanut Butter

I love my peanut butter. One of my favorite simple desserts/snacks is sliced banana drizzled with peanut butter and it tastes as good to me as a piece of cake that is how much I love it. Add in some chopped raw chocolate, and even better. Which got me to thinking, what if I made some peanut butter with a bit of chocolate in it? It sounded so good, it had to happen! So the next batch of peanut butter I made included a swirl of sweet chocolate peanut butter as well AND raw chocolate chunks.

Talk about heavenly. I was a fan of Nutella growing up, but I am an even bigger fan of this chocolate chunk swirled peanut butter. It is a dessert in and of itself, and I love it drizzled over bananas, like I said. I think strawberries would be wonderful dipped in it as well, sort of like a pb & j with chocolate. If peanuts are not your thing, try almonds or whatever your favorite nut may be. I have a feeling it will be just as delicious!

Chocolate Chunk Swirled Peanut Butter
Makes about 3 cups

3 1/2 cups toasted organic peanuts*

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chunks (if they are larger, chop them a bit)

2 Tbsp raw cacao powder

1/4 cup raw coconut sugar

In a high speed blender, combine the peanuts and sea salt and blend until smooth, using the tamper to push the mixture down into the blades. Remove half the mixture to a glass measuring cup with a spout, and stir in the chocolate chunks. Add the cacao powder and coconut sugar to the other half of the peanut mixture in the blender and blend until well incorporated. Pour the 2 nut mixtures into a glass jar alternating the two into a jar to create layers.

*If you would like to make a raw peanut butter with jungle peanuts just swap out the regular peanuts for raw jungle peanuts.

April 21, 2015
Raw Nut Goodie Bites

Nut goodies. The name brings back memories of biting into a maple cream and crunchy peanut goodness coated in smooth chocolate. A child’s dream dessert. I have to admit when I was little they ranked right up there with Reese’s PB cups if not higher. They are made right here in Minnesota, and I was kind of shocked to find out that my boyfriend Eric who was born in Arizona and just recently moved here in the last 5 years had never heard of them or had one. “WHAT? You, the biggest chocolate lover I know missed out on having a Nut Goodie as a child? You missed out!” I said.

It soon occurred to me that maybe most of the world was missing out on nut goodies and I had to at least create a rawified vegan version so Eric could try one (and those of you who have never had one but still want to enjoy sweets without refined sugars can have one too)!

For the filling, I made a maple cream from coconut (you can’t taste it, but it makes the texture perfect), some dates for sweetness a touch of maple extract (because it would not be a Nut Goodie without it), and some maca powder, which was perfect adding a bit more sweet and a little toasty note. I then pressed some peanuts into them, dipped them in raw dark chocolate and voila! Raw Nut Goodie goodness! They tasted pretty damn near close to the real thing, and as Eric stood there enjoying about his 4th one with a chocolate mustache, I knew he approved.

Raw Nut Goodie Bites
Makes about 12

Filling:
2 cups finely shredded raw coconut
6 soft medjool dates, pitted
2 Tbsp maca powder
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure maple extract
2 Tbsp coconut butter

1 cup raw jungle peanuts

Raw Chocolate Coating:
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup raw coconut oil
1/4 cup raw coconut nectar (or your choice liquid raw sweetener)

In a high speed blender, combine all the filling ingredients and process until very smooth. Remove from the blender and scoop onto a foil lined sheet by the Tbsp. Press the peanuts into the tops of the filling mounds (but not too hard because you still want them to be mounds). Set in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the chocolate ingredients in a small bowl. Once the filling has firmed up, set on a fork and dip into the chocolate, let the excess drain off, then place back on the foil. Repeat with remaining candies, then place them all in the freezer for 5 minutes to set the chocolate. Store extra in the fridge.

July 18, 2013